THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Right in the middle of the bustling city crowd, there is a space that opens into Kerala’s journey through timelines. The Museum of History and Heritage, near the corporation office, tells the story of the state, the traditions that shaped life here, the arts that enriched its culture, et al.
The entire saga is told in less than 45 minutes through artifacts, written records, slideshows, and installations that transport the viewers to past eras.
This was the first museum developed by the Interactive Museum of Cultural History of Kerala (IMCK aka Keralam Museum), which was formed in 2011 as a niche, government-backed autonomous body to oversee the revamp of museums in the state as per global standards.
The IMCK’s current plan is to encourage people’s representatives at the panchayat level to partner with it and set up museums that showcase local history. An example of such an initiative is the single-room Museum of Regional History at Kandonthar in Kannur.
At the district level across the state, four such museums have come up – in Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram and Thrissur. Sadly, the district museum project planned for Thiruvananthapuram at Sree Padam Palace lies frozen, with technical hiccups stalling work.
“There is a lot of scope for such local museums in Thiruvananthapuram, considering the historical value of places such as Neyyattinkara and the fringe areas of the district,” says an IMCK official.
“The government had earmarked `10 crore for panchayat-level projects in the current budget. The proposals have to come from the local bodies. So far, none of the local bodies have approached us. There seems to be a lack of awareness on the need to showcase local heritage.”
The official adds that the IMCK’s larger goal is to transform the museum sector. “We want to change the identity of museums in Kerala,” he says.
“There was a time when they were viewed as drab storehouses. That’s changing for the better. But more needs to be done.” Despite the museum culture in India starting early with the setting up of the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1814, the state of museums in the country had not moved ahead much.
In contrast, the world over, museums are witnessing a decolonisation process where indigenous and theme-based presentations are taking over the display space exhibiting a deep local connect. Elements of everyday life have become topics of storytelling.
The Childhood Museum in the UK is an example, where children, and not experts, are leading the transformation of the display space. Croatia has a Museum of Broken Relationships, where former lovers display objects associated with their past relationships.
Encouraging trends have emerged in India, too. The Partition Museum in Amritsar and the Culinary Arts Museum in Manipal are prime examples.
Apparently, IMCK has taken a cue from such initiatives.
Under the guidance of ‘Museum Man’ V Venu, the current chief secretary and former tourism director, efforts have been made to portray Kerala in the light of its evolutionary phases – international trade, migration, folk arts, colonial influence, regional diversity, etc.
The plan is to make museums in the state more interactive and engaging to draw not just history buffs, but also common people and students. “We wanted museums to be the places where people would come to know their own story,” says IMCK director Chandran Pillai,
“Partnerships need to be forged with the local people for any museums to flawlessly reflect regional history.”
In Thiruvananthapuram, the museum scene was earlier mostly limited to heritage buildings where artifacts would be displayed. The maintenance work in most of the places was often patchy. Most visitors strolling into such spaces came out phlegmatically.
Then came the Museum of History and Heritage in the Park View building. “The response was quite good and we began thinking of more such spaces,” says Chandran.
The IMCK’s next work was to change the look and feel of the Koyikkal Palace Museum in Nedumangad.
“Initially, it was conserved as a royal household, a monarchical remnant,” notes Jithu Thanyam D C, a research scholar who worked as a guide in the museum.
“Later, it was transformed into a vibrant space, where each room showcased how the life of people in the region evolved through the forest, into the villages, into knowledge societies, habitats, settlements, and cultural hubs. The experience is almost like time-travel.”
This is the kind of transformation that IMCK seeks to replicate across Kerala, says Chandran. “What we understood from our experiments is that we do not need many artifacts or huge heritage spaces to narrate the legends of a place or culture,” he adds.
“All that is required is a will to tell the stories using different methods, and in a precise, clear and interesting manner.”
This approach was adapted in the Palm-leaf Manuscripts Museum in West Fort as well. It is housed in a heritage building that used to be a prison during the rule of the royals. Incidentally, Kerala’s own Robin Hood Kayamkulam Kochunni was once held captive here.
After revamp, the museum was segregated into sections that highlight different aspects and stories of the region, and the local sectors connected to everyday life.
The latest IMCK project is the Ravi Varma Gallery near the Sri Chitra Art Gallery. Curated by Ganesh Shivaswamy, the museum is both interactive and ethereal with interiors that match the essence of the legendary artist’s works.
Besides these major projects, the IMCK seeks to inspire people of a locality or institution to set up micro-museums. “We will support such proposals with guidance from our panel of 84 experts,” says Rubin John Abraham, technical officer of IMCK.
“Educational institutions are coming forward with such ideas. One such project set for take-off is the Geology Museum coming up on the Karyavattom campus of Kerala varsity.
Sometimes, all that is needed is just a room, and the will and skill to tell stories. “The Vyloppilly Memorial Museum at Samskriti Bhavan and the museum at Nedumangad Government College are single-room units set up by the IMCK,” Rubin adds.
Setting up or revamping museums requires well-trained personnel exposed to techniques of museology and outreach. “The storytelling has to be professional, for which IMCK imparts training,” says Chandran.
“These professionals can then be employed in museums to take viewers closer to the stories being showcased. We are also trying to improvise by introducing concepts like ‘night museums’. One such event will be held on May 18. The end goal is to make Kerala a hub of museums. But for this, people’s participation is paramount. Caring for heritage is a joint effort.”